The Islamic militants attacked the northern city early Friday. Fierce clashes with Kirkuk's Kurdish Peshmerga defenders were reported on several fronts surrounding the city. A Kurdish commander, Brig. Gen. Shirko Fatih, died in battle not long after giving an interview from the front lines.
The Islamic State launched a large-scale attack Friday on the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, a prize it failed to win during its invasion of Iraq last summer.
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